Spiraea x bumalda 'Anthony Waterer'

Spiraea x bumalda 'Anthony Waterer', is a popular cultivar of Spiraea japonica. Spiraea japonica is a dense, upright, mounded, deciduous shrub that typically grows to 6 feet tall with a slightly larger spread. The cultivar, ‘Anthony Waterer', is a more compact version that grows to 2 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. Like japonica, 'Anthony Waterer" leaves grow to 3 inches long and are oval and sharply-toothed. New foliage emerges with reddish purple tinting in spring, matures to blue-green by summer and finally turns reddish in fall. However, unlike japonica's pink flowers, 'Anthony Waterer" has carmine red flowers in flattened corymbs (to 6 inches wide) in a showy bloom from late spring to mid-summer. The flowers attract butterflies and, to maximize bloom, you should site the plant in full sun. You can also extend the bloom by removing spent blossoms. Also, unlike japonica, 'Anthony Waterer' has a more compact form and requires little pruning to maintain a neat size, making it ideal in the foreground of shrub borders.

The 'Anthony Waterer' cultivar grows easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. It tolerates a wide range of soils, but prefers rich, moist loams. The plant flowers on new wood, so prune in late winter to early spring if needed. Like most spiraea, it can be aggressive through seeding and suckers and is known to have escaped gardens and naturalized in many areas of the eastern U.S.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:

This plant may be damaged by deer. No known serious insect or disease problems. Spiraeas are generally susceptible to many of the diseases and insects that attack other rose family members, including leaf spot, fire blight, root rot, aphids, leaf roller and scale.

More information on Spiraea x bumalda.